The Path Not Yet Taken
by thedarkunicorn
Summary: Sasuke's kiss came without warning. I didn't move at first, shocked to the core at the passionate way he had closed the space between us. His body was pressing me against the wall. He pulled away after a moment, looking me in the eyes. I still hadn't moved, frozen in time. There were so many thoughts rushing around my head and my heart was absolutely thundering in my chest.
1. Aftermath

_Chapter One: Aftermath_

I had gotten used to him being gone.

But that didn't make it any easier.

I knew my friends had begun to see right through me, but I continued to smile anyway. It wasn't until the crisis of Hanabi Hyugga's disappearance that I began to wonder if he was ever coming back. While our team was strong, we could have used his help, and I feared if he would always be absent like this—just like when Pain attacked the village. Would Sasuke ever really be there again? Or was he just a ghost to us now?

When our team had returned to the village with Hinata and Hanabi, I had secretly hoped he would be there, but the emotion was conflicted. We were on our last breaths, and a part of me was as resentful as I was hopeful. It might not have been like this if he had been there. Even in the darkness, I could tell the village had sustained quite a bit of damage while we were away, but nothing like before. I had expected much worse, and my hope for Sasuke's presence returned. So much had happened, and I was just ready for it to be over.

I couldn't help but notice the way Naruto seemed to pull Hinata closer to him than he had to as he carried her. I had been able to stabilize her, but her leg was still broken due to my dangerously low chakra reserves. I myself had sustained a dangerous injury which I had only partially healed. There was still slight internal bleeding, but nothing that would kill me without proper treatment.

As we got deeper into the village, the people had begun to notice our return despite the late hour. They were coming out of their homes and shops, some crying, others cheering and yelling Naruto's name. Naruto himself still hadn't recovered from his battle with Toneri. It wasn't long before other shinobi noticed our presence.

Shikamaru barked orders out, calling for the Hokage and a team of medics to get his injured comrades to the hospital. I felt relief at the burden lifting from my shoulders. Everything was going to be okay.

Then, as the commotion unfolded around us, I noticed Naruto's chakra begin to dive. His determined scowl ebbed away, and I watched in horror as he began to fall. My eyes flew open as I tried to intercept his fall… he must have been funneling chakra into Hinata this whole time. I must not have healed her as well as I thought. How could I have missed it?

The alarm at Naruto's sudden fall was silenced by a collective gasp as Naruto's fall was halted by Sasuke Uchiha gripping the back of his uniform. Naruto's eyes fluttered back open, and his grip remained on the sleeping girl in his arms. He smiled faintly as he recognized his friend behind him.

"Thanks for that, Sasuke," he said.

"Hn."

Medical ninjas rushed to Naruto, taking Hinata from his arms and getting her to the hospital. Soon, Naruto was being taken too, and I felt such relief that they were okay. Sai was watching me with an unsure expression and I wondered what his problem was. Everything was fine now.

I glanced back to Sasuke, amazed at how much he had changed in just a few years. I knew my chakra was fading fast since I wasn't so focused on making sure everyone got back, but I didn't realize quite _how_ fast until Sasuke vanished. I felt a moment of panic before I realized I was about to collapse, and felt him there behind me, holding me up. I turned my head and looked up at him, and found him looking down at me in quite a familiar way.

"Welcome home, Sasuke," I said, my eyes fluttering shut.

I heard him gasp and then a familiar angry tone from Tsunade-sama.

"Uchiha! Get her in here now!"

I faintly remembered Sasuke lifting me, but everything that came after was just black.

# # #

I leaned against the wall, my arms crossed and my eyes closed. This whole thing had been far too troublesome. You'd think after the war that this kind of thing wouldn't happen for at least another decade. But no, two years—that's all it took for the village to nearly get destroyed again.

I sighed and opened one eye just enough to get a glimpse of Sasuke. He appeared to be asleep, probably not much unlike myself, leaning against the opposite wall of the hospital. He looked like a homeless wandering shinobi who couldn't seem to figure out what exactly he should be doing now. Still, he had come back when the village needed him, and just like during the war, without him, we would all be goners. I suppose that said more than anything about him, but still, he got on my nerves.

If nothing else, it was obvious in the way he hadn't moved from outside Naruto and Sakura's rooms that he still cared about his old teammates. But he was making everyone around him nervous. Not five minutes ago a nurse had dropped a tray of syringes and antibiotics just because he had opened his eyes when she approached. I couldn't really blame her—he did look a little frightening with that Rinnegan in one eye. Still, he said nothing and just closed his eyes again as she scrambled to clean up the mess. No doubt he was used to that kind of reaction.

"Shikamaru!"

I groaned. Here came even more trouble than Sasuke.

"What's the status? Is Naruto Uzumaki going to make a full recovery?"

I turned my head and surveyed the headache that was Temari of the Sand.

"It's Naruto, of course he is going to be fine," I said.

She nodded once. "The Kazekage is meeting with the Hokage now. We came as quickly as we could, but in the end…"

She glanced at Sasuke uncertainly, but continued anyway. "In the end, there wasn't much we could do. It was Sasuke who kept the village from being completely destroyed. If he hadn't been here…"

I glanced at him again, wondering what exactly was going through his head now. "Yeah…"

"Uchiha!"

I cringed at the sound of Tsunade-sama's voice as she stalked down the corridor, her firm gaze focused on Sasuke. He opened his eyes in a narrowed, irritated way as she approached him, watching her with a sideways glare.

"We're putting your arm on now," she said.

Sasuke closed his eyes again. "No."

"No?" she shouted. "What do you mean, "no"?"

"Not until they wake up," he said as if it were obvious.

"That could be days," she said angrily. "I don't have time for this. We do it now, or you can figure it out yourself."

Just then, a certain shinobi's chakra flared to life, and all of us jerked with shock. Sasuke's eyes widened, but he didn't move. None of us did. It was so sudden it was alarming. Her chakra had come back so quickly it was unsettling.

"Is she really already…" Tsunade said, looking towards Sakura's open door.

The next moment, Sakura stood in the door of her hospital room, a familiar smile on her face. "Really, Tsunade-sama," she said. "Did you think Naruto would heal faster than me?"

She gaped at her. "That's remarkable, Sakura."

"Sasuke," she said, her features just as gentle as when she was a girl. "I'll stay with Naruto. Go with Tsunade-sama and let her fix your arm."

I watched in stupefied awe as Sasuke's expression relaxed and he nodded at her before he turned to Tsunade-sama. She raised her eyebrow at him as if annoyed and amused that he was actually listening to Sakura, and muttered, "Come on then," and headed back down the corridor from where she came.

Sasuke went along with her, and I turned back to Sakura and followed her into Naruto's room. Hinata watched us from her silent post in the corner, but she said nothing. Sakura nodded to her and approached Naruto's bedside. We were all still in our beat up clothes from our journey, but other than that, all of us were at full health now besides Naruto.

"How did you heal so fast, Sakura?" I asked.

She looked at Naruto for a moment, her face sad and worried before putting her hand over his forehead emanating a green glow of healing chakra. "It's a skill I had been trying to perfect for some time. Honing my chakra so that my unconscious mind could accelerate my healing process. An unconscious medical ninja is useless, and a rapid recovery is required to ensure the survival of the team."

Naruto's eyes fluttered open as Sakura's healing jutsu faded. He opened his eyes, staring up at Sakura.

"How's Hinata?" he asked immediately.

I glanced over at her. She had been sitting quietly in Naruto's room the entire time he was out. Tsunade had easily been able to patch her up, but Naruto and Sakura's injuries had been inflicted with Toneri's dangerous jutsu, making them more difficult to heal.

She stood up, tears brimming her eyes as she approached Naruto.

"Naruto," she said. "I'm so glad you are okay."

Naruto's face relaxed at the sight of her. "Hinata…"

I couldn't help but smile when Hinata started sobbing and threw her arms around him. I nodded at Temari and left the room, and Sakura followed, shutting the door behind her.

"Sheesh," I said, scratching my head. "That's a little heart-wrenching."

When I looked at Sakura, I saw a tear sliding down her cheek, but she wiped it away quickly.

"I'm going to see the Hokage," she said matter of factly. "He'll need a full report of what happened after we got separated, Shikamaru."

"Yeah…" I said, watching her uncertainly. "What about Sasuke?"

She paused, not looking at me. She knew what I meant. I watched as she bit her lip and her face tightened. "I don't know if he will stay. Just try to keep the others away from him. Not everyone will be glad to see him no matter what he has done. Let Naruto handle it."

I nodded and watched her walk away.

Temari snorted. "She's in love with him still, isn't she?"

I sighed, noticing the tension in her shoulders as she turned out of sight. "Yeah."

* * *

><p><em>Please let me know what you think! I will be posting rapid updates until finished over the next week probably. This story will be as canon as I can make it-an envisioning of how Sasuke and Sakura came to be together. Please enjoy!<em>

_Find me on Tumblr at alaynaravenwood_


	2. Composure

_Chapter Two: Composure_

Two days had passed before I worked up the nerve to go to Naruto's place where Sasuke was staying. I wasn't sure what my problem was. I'd waited two years for him to finally come back as he'd promised, and now I didn't even know what to say to him. I stood outside of Naruto's front door staring at it like it was a thousand miles away from me. I was so used to the pain that the idea of it being gone for good was crippling me too. Dare I hope to have the Sasuke I used to know back with us again? No… that was stupid, none of us were the same, but it was Sasuke who had changed the most. He had always cared about us, no matter how hard he tried to condemn his memories, and to shut us out—that much I knew. But when would he let us back in now that he had stopped trying to push us away? Had he found what he was looking for yet?

The people in the street passed me by, giving me odd looks. I wished I knew what to do. Should I give him space? Let him come to me? Or did he need me to seek him out now?

I bit my lower lip, frustrated with my own indecision. Before I had made up my mind to knock, the door swung open and Naruto was there, surprised but still smiling at me.

"Sakura-chan!" he beamed.

I couldn't help but smile at his warm welcome. Nothing ever got to him. He always knew what to do, and I envied him for that.

_Naruto, lend me your strength. I need to know what to do._

"I was just heading out to find Hinata!" he said, leaving the door open behind him. "Were you here to see Sasuke-teme?"

"Uh…" I said.

Naruto's expression softened and he put his hand on my shoulder. "He's upstairs, Sakura. I think he has wanted to see you, too."

Naruto closed his eyes and shook his head with a small chuckle and walked off. I raised an eyebrow at him, wondering when he had gotten more mature than I was. Irritated, I looked back at the open door and stepped inside, shutting it behind me.

Naruto's house was unusually neat. The silence was undoing the confidence Naruto had instilled in me, and I glanced around, wondering if I should call out to him. When I stepped into the kitchen, I was surprised to see him at the base of the stairs. I choked on my words, my lips parting soundlessly. Tearing my eyes away from him, I took a breath and smiled.

"Sasuke-kun," I said, regaining my composure. "I didn't get to greet you properly before. Welcome home."

He watched me curiously and I felt it slipping away again. His hair was loose, possibly even damp, and longer than before. He was wearing one of Naruto's black shirts, and it reminded me of our genin days. To make my blushing nostalgia worse, he smirked at me.

"You and Naruto can't seem to stay out of trouble when I'm away, can you?" he said.

He meant it to be light-hearted and affectionate, I knew, but it hit me completely different. My smile fell, and I looked away from him.

"It would seem so, huh?" I muttered.

The silence felt like a knife being slowly driven into my chest, so I said, "But I heard the village is only standing now because of you. It's a good thing you weren't with us, really. Konoha needed you, and you came."

"I'm sorry, Sakura," he said, his expression angry. "If something had happened to one of you…"

My gaze shot back up to his. "You can't always be there, Sasuke. We know that. What's important is that you are here now. Naruto went out to meet Hinata. I don't know if you've noticed or not, but they are kind of a thing. You should come with me, go and see the village. A lot is different now since we've rebuilt, and maybe we can find Naruto."

And there it was. The moment that my hope came crashing down around me. I took a deep, staggered breath as I awaited his response.

"I hadn't really planned on coming back just yet," he said. "I'm not sure if I'm ready, Sakura."

The dead weight of reality almost took me to my knees. I turned around, ready to leave, but my feet simply would not carry me. Some small part of me still had hope that Sasuke would change his mind, but that little girl was quickly dying. I wanted to have that back—the immeasurable patience I once did for him. I wanted to say I could wait forever for him, that it was okay, and I understood, but all I felt now was anger. How could he keep doing this to us? How could he leave me here alone again?

The moment I took a step forward, I felt his hand tugging on my arm. I gasped and turned back to him. He looked conflicted, and it gave me one last surge of hope.

"Just come for ramen tonight. Naruto would like that," I said.

Sasuke let go of me, satisfied with the thread still holding me there, and nodded.

# # #

After everything I had done to deserve the hate of my former teammate, the least I could do was go and have ramen. After years of hearing her cries of devotion, it had alarmed me that she didn't do that today. Somehow, I felt caught off guard by her lack of an attempt to talk me into staying, and my only reaction had been to grab her. It was always her that had kept holding on, and if she let go, what would be left?

That thought was what had brought me out of Naruto's house and into the streets of Konoha that night. The evening was jubilant, the people relieved for the threat to be over. I kept the hood of my cloak up, hoping not to be noticed. Sakura had been right—the streets of Konoha were different than they used to be. It wasn't even familiar anymore. I only knew where I was going by sensing out Naruto's chakra. I felt like an outsider that did not belong. The celebration in the air was disconcerting, like an echo of a home I used to have, but felt strange and surreal to me now.

I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding when I saw Naruto at Ichiraku's. I paused, however, when I noticed Hinata sitting beside him. He hadn't noticed me yet, and was avidly entertaining her with some story, waving his hands about. I could hear him from across the crowd. She smiled at him, the look of adoration nothing short of total devotion. I had heard from Kakashi what happened when they were away, and I knew it had changed my friend.

Once again, Naruto was leaving me in the dust, moving on, forcing me to watch him as he achieved every greatness and happiness he desired. He made it look so easy.

I was very nearly about to leave when I turned around and found myself looking down at Sakura.

"Oh, Sasuke!" she said, smiling politely. "Glad I wasn't too late. Come on, I can see them!"

I watched her walk on ahead and realized how much I had missed while I was gone. She was stunning. And she wasn't losing sleep over me anymore.

I took a few steps forward, trying to understand what this feeling that was making me uneasy was. Grunting at my own ridiculous introspective self-analysis, I sat down beside Sakura and recalled how much I hated ramen.

"Is Kakashi-sensei coming, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked over Hinata's head.

"No, idiot," she said, "He's the Hokage now! He can't just come have ramen with us whenever we want him to."

"You know," Naruto said. "Now that you mention it, that really sucks! I wanted him to give us the bell test again as team seven! I think we could break our record with Sasuke back, Sakura!"

I glanced over at Naruto. "You guys did the bell test again?"

"Yeah!" Naruto said, "And we got them from him by tricking him into thinking…"

I couldn't even listen to the rest of what Naruto was saying. They had taken the bell test again _without me._ Sakura was laughing, and asking Hinata about how her team was doing.

"Well, Shino has started teaching at the academy," she said.

"What?" Naruto said. "I wouldn't want Shino as a sensei—all those bugs everywhere all the time—eh, Sasuke-teme, where ya' goin'?"

I had stood up so abruptly I hadn't thought of an excuse yet. I just needed to get out of there.

"I forgot about something I have to take care of," I said. "I'll catch up with you later."

I turned away from them, walking away without a backward glance.

"But you just got your ramen!" Naruto called after me.

"I'm gonna head out too, Naruto," I heard Sakura say and soon caught up to me through the crowd.

She fell into step beside me, and didn't say a word.

# # #

I knew what Naruto had said bothered him. It surprised me how much though. Seeing him react like that made me worry. It was so un-Sasuke like to let his emotions show, and I didn't want him to withdraw from us anymore. He hadn't said anything when I followed him, and unless I was crazy, he seemed a little relieved that I had.

"Everything really is a lot different," he said.

I glanced up at him. He was looking at the village with something akin to nostalgia, but he seemed troubled as well.

"We didn't want to be here without you, Sasuke," I said quietly. "You know that. It was hard for us."

We walked on in a comfortable silence I didn't think we would ever be able to share. Children were running through the streets, playing games, their parents yelling after them, while others were out with their loved ones.

"What was it like when the village was attacked before?" he asked.

I recalled the moment when Pain had blown up most of what I knew as my home, screaming Naruto's name at the top of my lungs. It winded me, recalling the feeling.

"I thought it was over," I said. "I thought we were all dead, but then Naruto showed up."

We kept walking.

"There was a time that I would have done the same," he said. "I would have destroyed the village and anyone who got in my way."

I recalled the Cloud nin who reported that Sasuke had joined Akatsuki. That was when it happened. That was when I felt the distance had become too great.

"But you didn't."

Sasuke didn't meet my eyes. "I owe Naruto everything."

I lowered my eyes to the ground. "You're not the only one."

"What happened after he defeated Nagato?" Sasuke asked.

I sighed. "It was a wake up call for the village. We very nearly lost many lives, and if not for Naruto, it would have been over. We were vulnerable, and to make matters worse, Cloud nin came to the village to tell us that you had teamed up with the Akatsuki and had taken their master, a jinchurriki like Naruto. I couldn't defend you anymore. Everyone felt you needed to be taken care of, and the only thing in their way was Naruto, constantly taking the hits for you time and time again. Most of all, I felt like I was the one delivering the blows. I knew how he felt about you, but I wanted it to be my fault. It was the only way I could deal with the decision the village had made to kill you, and I owed everything I had to Naruto. I tried to love him, to free him of your hate. He was, after all, the hero of the village. I was stupid… to think I was what he wanted. It was always about you, Sasuke. He wanted to save you, and all I did was give up on both of you."

Sasuke sighed. "At least you tried. I never gave either one of you a chance."

"Then why do we still care so much?" I asked, glanced at him shyly.

At that moment, three genin were passing us. One of them muttered, "Hey, it's that Uchiha bastard who abandoned the village, and came slinking back after the war."

I raised my fist, about to teach him a lesson on manners, but Sasuke caught my wrist and shook his head. He pulled me along, urging me to keep walking, and I fumed silently.

Not a few moments later, one of the others had thrown something our way, hitting Sasuke in the back of the head. He paused, his composure slipping, but he said nothing. I touched the back of his hair, feeling the slimy yolk of an egg and cracked shell dripping.

"Sasuke…" I said, stunned that they had the nerve to be so cruel. My shock quickly turned to rage and I turned back to put them in their place, but my anger dissipated as I saw Lee standing there, his hand held up in front of him.

"No one will disrespect Sasuke Uchiha in front of me!" he said. "Apologize now, or prepare for battle!"

The genin snickered and ran off. Lee ignored them and turned around, making a face when he saw the raw egg now dripping onto Sasuke's shirt. Everyone around us had grown quiet and was watching in horror at what they thought was Sasuke about to snap. But he didn't say anything as he did his best to wipe the yolk out of his hair. I wondered briefly why he hadn't dodged it, knowing very well he could have.

"Thanks, Lee," I said. "I can't believe the nerve of those kids. The Hokage will hear about this."

"No problem, Sakura," he said.

Sasuke smirked, and looked up at Lee. "Yeah, thanks."

"It was my pleasure, Sasuke," he said. "You do not deserve to be treated in such a manner!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and muttered, "Yeah, I guess not."

"I'll see you around, Lee," I said, smiling. He gave me a sad smile back as he watched Sasuke turn around and head off. I caught up to him, taking his arm and pulling him off down a side street.

"My parents' house is right over here," I said. "Come on, you can clean up there."

When we got inside, my parents came to greet us.

"Oh, honey, I didn't know you were stopping by," mom said.

"Well," I said, "We weren't planning to, but there was an accident."

"Sasuke Uchiha, is it?"

My dad came into the foyer surveying us.

"Ugh," I growled. "Now isn't a good time, Dad."

"It's alright, Sakura," Sasuke said. "I don't think I've ever met your parents before."

Dad smiled and shook Sasuke's hand. "Well, I've certainly heard a lot about you, young man. Glad to see you have decided to come back to the village."

Sasuke deadpanned and I knew what he was thinking. He certainly hadn't decided to stay in the village, and he hadn't heard much about them. Still, Sasuke smiled.

"Sorry to meet you in such informal circumstance," he said. "I'd be happy to treat you both one evening for the intrusion tonight. I'd love to get to know you and your lovely wife, Mr. Haruno."

My jaw dropped as I stared at Sasuke. My dad smiled and laughed. "No trouble at all, son. Take your time. I daresay Sakura isn't the neatest person though, so don't mind her room. You might find weeks old laundry up there."

My entire face burned as I practically dragged Sasuke out of the foyer and up the stairs. I did not know what to be more embarrassed about as I pushed him into my room and shut the door.

I let out a sigh and stomped around my room, making sure there wasn't any laundry actually lying about.

"I didn't realize you still lived at home," he said.

I paused, almost forgetting he was still standing there with egg in his hair.

"Oh," I said, a blush creeping across my cheeks again. "Yeah, well, I'm gone a lot, so no point in paying for a place, right?"

He stood there, looking around at my room curiously. I'd always assumed Sasuke could be charming if he wanted to, I had just never heard it in action. And how very strange it felt.

"Hang on, Sasuke," I said, remembering why we were there. "Let me get you a towel."

I stepped back out into the hall and went into the bathroom to run cold water over a wash cloth. I could hear my parents snickering downstairs and I rolled my eyes. I should have anticipated this disaster a little better.

When I got back to my room, Sasuke was standing beside my dresser, looking at the only photo of team seven that I had. I paused, noticing the reminiscent look on his face, and gently started cleaning the egg out of his hair.

"I don't feel like I belong here anymore, Sakura," he said. "Of everywhere I've been, Konoha feels the least like home. I feel like the worthless traitor that I am to these people. Everyone here knows what I did, but elsewhere, I am free… why would I stay here?"

I set the cloth down and moved so I could see him.

"Nothing worth having is ever easy. I can't make you stay, Sasuke, but know that you are wanted here. Naruto and I, and everyone else, want you here. Some people will be cruel, but we can't change everyone. Whatever you decide in the end, I support you… as long as you don't shut us out again."

He was still staring at the picture of team seven on my dresser. Then, slowly, he turned towards me, and put his hand at the small of my back, and pulled me against him.

I wasn't sure if he wanted to know that I was close, or if he was just trying to hide the fact that he was crying. Still, I held him, relishing in the warmth of his chest, and his arms wrapped around me. It was a feeling I hadn't been sure I would ever come to know.

_AN: Please review! :)_


	3. Home

Chapter Three: Home

_~Two Months Later~_

He told me one night while we were sitting at Ichiraku's eating his god forsaken ramen. I nearly choked on it when the words came out of his mouth, and even the old man stopped and stared at him. I coughed and coughed until I finally swallowed and turned to look at him.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

Naruto laughed lightly, a faint smile on his face. "Yeah, we're pretty sure."

"Does Sakura know?" I asked.

Naruto shook his head. "I want to surprise her with the others. We're going to throw a party."

I nodded.

_But you told me_ _because you knew it would hit me the hardest._

"Are you okay, Sasuke?" he asked.

I nodded slowly, trying to consider it. "I just can't imagine you… with a kid… as a dad."

"Yeah, me either," he said. "But Hinata is pretty excited."

I smirked and glanced sideways at Naruto. "It sure didn't take long."

"Heh," Naruto laughed. "So, have you and Sakura…"

My face grew so hot so fast I bet I could have fried an egg on it. We had been spending a lot of time together recently, but not the kind of time Naruto and Hinata had been spending…_clearly._

"Haven't you got enough to worry about, Naruto?" I said, doing my best to change the subject.

"Oh come on," Naruto said, "What have you guys been doing with all that time then?"

I shrugged. "Sparring mostly. I would train with you or Kakashi but seeing as how he is the Hokage and you have a girlfriend, I'm left with Sakura."

"Tsch," Naruto said. "Yeah, right. That's pathetic, Sasuke. Acting like you only spend time with her because the rest of Team Seven is busy. That's bullshit and you know it."

"Whatever, dobe," I said.

"And I heard you took her and her parents out for dinner; an expensive one too," he said.

"Yeah, I was trying to be polite for intruding into their house," I said.

Naruto got up, giving me a skeptical look. "Whatever, Sasuke. I've got to go meet Kakashi-sensei. He's got me going to these meetings with him lately with all of the other villages. Pretty cool. Oh and uh, I asked Hinata to marry me. We're having an engagement party at the Hyuuga Compound this weekend. Wear something nice. See ya!"

Naruto vanished and I turned back to my half eaten bowl of ramen.

"So, uh, you're paying for him then?" the old man asked.

My eyes narrowed. I slammed the money down on the counter. "Tsch, that dobe."

# # #

I purposely arrived at my destination thirty minutes early.

White puffy clouds floated across the sky overhead, and a light breeze blew through the cemetery.

_Uchiha Itachi_

~_Honory Hokage_~

_For service to The Five Great Nations during the Fourth Shinobi War_

Dark spots appeared at the base of the monument that Itachi's name was written upon until they were absorbed into the stone. Kakashi, at Naruto's persistence, had this made shortly after my departure from the village, along with a ceremony revealing the truth about my older brother. Shinobi all over the five great nations spoke of Itachi's honor, and his duty to his village.

I was knelt before the monument, my hand resting on the stone. "I hope… I have made you proud, Itachi."

I closed my eyes, recalling the last time I saw him. _"No matter what you do from here on, I will always love you."_

The pain was forever a part of me. Losing Itachi had been like losing a part of myself, and all that could be done was to endure the suffering from the void of his absence. To love someone so much was reckless, and yet, unavoidable. Those bonds become a part of you no matter how hard you try to stop them, a lesson I had learned the hard way.

But to invite even more into your life? As Naruto had done with the coming of his child? Was that not avoidable? Was it not reckless to invite more potential pain into your life than necessary?

I clenched my eyes shut. I didn't know how he did it. He coped so easily, as had Itachi. Or perhaps they were just better at hiding it, or maybe they were just flat out stronger than I was. I didn't want to endure this pain any more than I already had to.

"Sasuke?"

I lifted my hand from the base of the monument and stood up.

Her voice was quiet, almost a whisper, like she was nervous to even approach me. It was silly, of course, for her to think that, since I had asked her to meet me here.

I scowled. Naruto had been right. I wasn't sparring. I didn't know what the hell I was doing, I just wanted Sakura to come out here with me. I wanted her to understand Itachi like I did. For more than just me to come and visit him.

When I finally really looked at her, she seemed upset.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

She took a small step towards me, her hand slowly reaching for my face. I didn't move as she wiped at my skin, unaware I had been crying so obviously. She looked past me, taking in the memorial and she smiled faintly.

"I wished I had the chance to meet him," she said. "I only ever encountered him once, and it wasn't even really him, just a jutsu."

I turned around and closed my eyes. "Sakura…"

She looked up at me.

"Itachi died so that I could live. My aimless wandering can hardly be considered as such, so I've decided that to honor him, I'm going to stay in the village," I said.

She smiled, but I could tell she was hesitant to truly accept what I was saying. She didn't trust me. And I couldn't blame her.

"Come on," I said. "Let's head back."

She nodded and followed me as the sun began to set along the horizon.

"Do you remember when I left the village how I tapped you on the forehead?" I asked.

Sakura turned her head to the side a little, thinking, before she nodded. "I always wondered what you meant by that."

"It was something Itachi used to do to me all the time," I said. "He would say, 'Sorry, Sasuke, maybe next time.' It always made me mad because he never had time for me."

She listened intently, eager for me to tell her all of the things I had never revealed to anyone. She would never understand properly if I didn't explain properly. She was somber after hearing me speak about Itachi, and I worried if I was putting too much of a burden on her—to carry this pain alongside me. We kept walking and arrived back in the village, crossing the bridge where we had met for one of our first missions as Team Seven.

"So do you plan to stay with Naruto?" she asked.

My eye twitched at the thought. "Absolutely not."

There had been a situation, not too long ago, that I had opened my bedroom door to find Hinata Hyuuga wearing nothing but a towel staring up at me from the bathroom doorway like I was the ethereal form of her dead cousin. I had simply closed my door.

"I actually wouldn't mind starting to look for my own place," I said.

"Why don't we go this weekend? The day after Naruto's engagement party?" she asked. "I'd love to help you!"

The thought of attending a social function at the Hyuuga Compound was less than thrilling. They were one of the few clans in Konoha that still had their own private district not all that unlike what the Uchiha once had. Still, it was also when Naruto would make his big announcement.

"Yeah," I muttered. "That sounds fine."

# # #

The entire village was there and the Hyuuga had spared no expense for the engagement party of their daughter. The air was crisp, but not enough so to spoil the evening. Twinkling lights had been strung up over the gardens to honor the engagement of the clan heiress and her new fiancé, only to be outshone by the blanket of stars overhead. Soft instrumentals complemented the fine dining and dancing that would follow later, and I happened to be an honored guest of Lord Hiashi's with my own special seat on the veranda. My view overlooked the gardens of the Hyuuga district where the party was taking place. Being the Sixth Hokage did come with its' perks, I supposed, but I could have forgone the robes.

I watched as Naruto, dressed in traditional garb, greeted each and every guest with Hinata at his side. I couldn't help but notice the way he would often place his hand at her back, and his other on the front of her shoulder as she bowed for her guests almost like he was urging her to be more cautious.

When Sasuke arrived, I was unsurprised at how well the young Uchiha had cleaned up. He wore black robes bearing his clan's symbol, and his stoic expression rivaled even Hiashi's as he bowed before Naruto. Naruto, knucklehead that he was, grabbed Sasuke's hand, pulling him into a brief hug. Sasuke winced ever so slightly at the cordial action, but allowed him to do so, despite knowing the complete break of tradition Naruto was causing. I shook my head for a moment until the sharp contrast next to Sasuke's black robes caught my eye—Sakura, as beautiful as her namesake, fell into place next to him. Huh. So they came together.

Sakura looked as gentle as a butterfly in her white kimono with cherry blossom petals and a pale pink obi. Her hair was pulled back, but her bangs loose and carefully styled. I couldn't help but analyze her body language towards Sasuke. It had definitely been long enough now that Sasuke should have been more inclined to acknowledge her rather forward feelings for him. Still, even though they were _together_ it didn't seem like anything had come of it. It wouldn't be long now… not with Sakura looking like _that._

I smiled to myself. If he didn't make a move soon, I might be forced to take action. I chuckled. _And she was my student._

It wasn't long before Ino arrived and sought Sakura and Sasuke out like an angry hornet. Sasuke's eye twitched as Ino grabbed his arm, and Sakura's gentle expression soured.

A server passed by them and Ino snatched a glass of sake from the tray and took a long drink. My amusement only grew as Sai joined the group. From the smug look on his face he had arrived with some kind of rude comment because the other three were suddenly deadpanning.

"What did you say?" Ino shouted, sloshing her sake as she raged at Sai.

Sasuke had closed his eyes in exasperation while Sakura watched Ino and Sai begin to bicker in bemused horror. A loud commotion over Naruto's way stole all of our attention as Kiba arrived with Akamaru. Apparently the Hyuuga had invited the caretaker of the ninja cats that lived outside of Konoha. Since the Uchiha's demise, they rarely came into the village anymore.

The girl was about the same age as Naruto and the others, and the ninja cat perched on her shoulder was hissing wildly at Akamaru.

"Hey!" Kiba yelled. "Cut it out, Akamaru!"

The cat jumped onto one of the tables, knocking over glassware and leapt out of sight, Akamaru chasing after.

Kiba was apologizing frantically to Hinata who was blushing and shaking her head.

"It's okay, Kiba-kun!" she said.

Naruto laughed and motioned to the ninja cat caretaker behind him. "I think you've got bigger problems Kiba." He turned around to the angry caretaker, furious his dog had scared off her ninja cat.

I shook my head. Looking around again, I noticed the rest of the Team Seven's peers from the old days gathered around Ino, Sakura and Sai, the former of which was clearly not holding her liquor well, and the latter realizing he might have bit off more than he could chew. Sasuke had managed to slip away and was down the veranda a little ways from me.

I noticed him give me a look, and I joined him on the deck looking out over the gardens.

"And here I was worried I might have forgotten proper etiquette," Sasuke said.

I noticed Hiashi's permanent scowl as he surveyed the antics going on in his gardens. He was still greeting the late coming guests near the entrance. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure the Hyuuga are only tolerating any of this because it is Naruto. Only someone with his reputation could cause them to allow such a break in tradition."

I couldn't help but notice the way Sasuke was paying more attention to the landscaping, the architecture, and overall appearance of the Hyuuga Compound.

"It's a lot like the old Uchiha District, huh?" I asked.

His shoulders stiffened. "Yeah…"

"It's okay to talk about it, Sasuke," he said.

He lowered his eyes and the tension lessened. "Did you ever go there with _him_?"

"Often," I said. "But not because he wanted us to. Rin and I would make a point to go and see what he did all day when he wasn't allowed to go and train with us while we weren't on a mission. I recall one event in particular when the clan leader's wife gave birth to the next heir of the Uchiha. Obito had been furious he had to sit there while everyone fussed over your older brother. Itachi's birth had been a highly celebrated day in the Uchiha District."

Sasuke was deep in thought, now watching Naruto with Hinata.

"How long have you known?" I asked him.

He turned to me with an incredulous look. "How did you know I knew?"

"Well, if Naruto didn't tell you, you would have definitely noticed by his behavior tonight," I said.

"Hn."

We watched as Lord Hiashi called for everone's attention for an announcement. He called Naruto and Hinata to stand before him as he made a speech about the two of them. When it was Naruto's turn, I couldn't help but shake my head at how nervous he seemed. It was a far cry from the boisterous obnoxious genin I remembered.

Once the announcement of Hinata's pregnancy was revealed, everyone began cheering. I could hear a very distinct sigh from Shikamaru followed with, "Just what we needed—another little Naruto running around."

I chuckled, but then I noticed Sasuke's hollow gaze.

He was aware I had noticed, and hesitated for a moment, but then said, "Do you think when Naruto's child is born, it will be like when Itachi was born, but even greater? That the whole village will celebrate?"

I shrugged. "I guess we'll find out. But even if it is, I can only imagine he would want just a few people around anyway."

It was hardly noticeable, but I could tell he was smirking. He might not be willing to say it out loud, but he was happy for Naruto. Sasuke sure had come a long way since the war.

"I got to admit, I did not expect the two of them to move so quickly," he said. "I didn't see it coming."

"Sometimes you don't," I said. "Other times… well, are clearer."

I wasn't sure if he caught where I was going with that, but then again, he had to know. He didn't say anything, but the placid look on his face had me following his gaze to a certain kunoichi. Sakura was struggling to keep her drunk friend from hitting Sai while simultaneously appearing to be turning down an offer to dance from one of the Hyuuga clan members.

Naruto and Hinata were now dancing in the center of the gardens beneath the twinkling lights strung overhead. Several of the others were starting to join in now, and even Sai and Ino seemed to calm down enough for a dance. I watched Sasuke out of the corner of my eye, wondering how many shinobi he would let Sakura turn down before he overcame his pride enough to ask her himself.

"Don't be afraid of happiness, Sasuke," I said. "Or you might just end up like me."

His expression softened as he saw Sakura standing there alone now; even Kiba and the cat girl were dancing closely.

When I looked back over, Sasuke was gone, and Sakura was still standing alone. I sighed, disappointed. One of the servers was picking up half drank glasses of sake and walked passed Sakura. I raised an eyebrow as she snatched one of them off the tray and swallowed it in one gulp.

"Oh boy."

# # #

Everybody just seemed so _happy._

I slammed the glass back on the table littered with other empty glasses. Even Ino _that pig_ seemed content in Sai's arms. Of course, she might have been asleep and possibly even _drooling_ on his shoulder, I couldn't really tell for sure.

Then there was Naruto. I was so used to his constant observations that I was a little crestfallen at the lack of attention I was getting from him. I knew I was just being selfish, and even as I felt it, I noticed him and Hinata dancing so closely that I could only smile for their happiness. I would give anything to protect what Naruto had now, but it was still just as surreal as it was a rude awakening of how much I wanted what he had.

I knew this kind of thing wasn't Sasuke's cup of tea, but I was a little perturbed he hadn't come back once all the excitement had died down. I was fine without dancing, or talking, or doing anything really. I just wanted him here.

A sharp tap on my shoulder startled me, and for a fleeting moment, I wondered if Sasuke was there, but when I turned around, I found Kakashi-sensei watching me. I tried not to look disappointed, but it was hard to hide anything from him. Besides, he already knew. A part of me would always be in his debt for the way he always used to stand up for me, even defending me to Sasuke. Naruto had told me later what happened, after Sasuke had left the village.

"Care for a dance?" he asked.

I smiled, and took his hand. We danced for a few minutes, making small talk about the party.

"Kakashi-sensei," I said. "I never got to thank you, for how you always supported me, and tried to keep me from making inexcusable mistakes."

He smiled beneath his mask, his eyes softening.

"Sasuke is still here, you know," he said.

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"He's under the veranda."

I nodded, smiling. "Thanks for that, Kakashi-sensei."

When we parted, I noticed his silhouette hidden in the shadows. He was there, watching everyone else from afar, content to be there without being involved. I slipped away, leaning against the wall beside him.

"You should be enjoying the party," he said.

"So should you."

"I only came so I don't have to hear Naruto complain for the rest of my life," he said.

I laughed. "Then let's get out of here. We've stayed long enough. The sake ran dry far too quickly."

He didn't move. "You should be out there with your friends."

I stared at my feet for a moment. "I'd rather stay right here with you than go back out there."

Sasuke finally looked over at me, his dark eyes scowling. Grunting, he grabbed my hand and pulled me after him. I was surprised when he actually led me to where the others were still dancing. He turned around and took my hand properly, his other hand at my waist. Everyone was casting subtle glances at us, and Sasuke had simply closed his eyes in an expression crossed with reluctance and annoyance.

Once everyone stopped gawking at us, the tension lessened.

"Thank you," I said.

He waited for me to continue.

"For dancing with me. If I had known how good you were, I would have dragged you out here sooner," I said.

"I'm only doing it to show up Kakashi," he said, flashing me a smirk.

I laughed. "Well, I have to admit, this will have to be added to his list of many talents. Still, you have surprised me the most."

The tempo slowed and Sasuke still held onto me. I rested my head against his chest, wondering if it would bother him. I could hear the beating of his heart, and it soothed me in such a way that any hesitation I had disappeared. Being here with him had been such a fantasy for so long, that now that he was here, sometimes it was hard to acknowledge it was really happening.

His only response was to tighten his grip on me, holding me closer. We stayed like that for as long as we could, but when the music ended, we gently parted. I smiled my way through the awkward silence and shivered at the loss of his warmth.

Hanging over us, the moon cast a pale light across the gardens.

"It's getting late," he said.

I nodded. "Yeah. We should get going. Did you still want to look for a place tomorrow?"

"Sure."

I nodded as Naruto and Hinata approached us to bid us farewell. Everyone was beginning to leave, and saying goodbye. Naruto was giving me an odd look, no doubt seeing Sasuke and me together. But I wasn't dumb enough to think it meant anything—not yet anyway. Sasuke had a funny way of showing he cared, and I knew that he did, but I wasn't convinced his intended result was anything but to relieve him of any guilt.

Still, I was glad for what little moments I did get.

"I'll walk you home, Sakura," he said.

I nodded, bowing again to Naruto and Hinata, before following Sasuke out of the compound. We didn't talk as we traveled the short distance to my home, and he simply inclined his head for his final farewell, but still…

Sasuke was _home_.

And that was all that really mattered.

_AN: Please review if you have a moment! I truly appreciate each and every comment! Check me out on Tumblr at alaynaravenwood _


	4. Departure

_Chapter Four: Departure_

_SAKURA_

"Sakura!"

I poked my head outside of my room. "What?"

"Sasuke is here! Said you were supposed to be going somewhere with him?" mom called up the stairs.

I glanced down at my robe and screamed silently. I always knew he was an early riser, but _jeez._

"Tell him I'll be right there!" I yelled, cursing under my breath.

I tossed my robe across my bed and pulled my uniform over my head. Tying a knot in my headband, I grabbed my shoes and threw the door open only to nearly slam into Sasuke.

"Your mom said you used to tell her that and go back to sleep, and that I'd better make sure you were up," he said, eyeing me suspiciously.

I smiled, a little embarrassed. "I have no idea what she's talking about. Look—see? I'm all ready to go!" I said.

He nodded and I followed him back down the stairs. When we passed through the kitchen, I glared at my mom, careful not to let Sasuke see.

"Oh," she said, stopping Sasuke. "Why don't you two have some tea before you go?"

Sasuke nodded and said, "That'd be great, thank you."

He sat down at the table where mom poured him a cup of tea and I begrudgingly followed suit.

"Sometimes I wonder how she made it through the academy at all," mom droned on. "I could never get her to get up on time."

Sasuke laughed. "I remember from missions in our genin days her and Naruto always being late. Of course, that could have just been because Kakashi was always late too."

"Yeah," I said. "What was the point showing up on time if he was going to just stroll in hours later?"

"And to think he is our Hokage now," he muttered. "Which reminds me. I was meaning to ask you and Naruto—did you ever catch him without his mask?"

I shook my head. "You wouldn't believe how many times we tried. Remember the day we saw them unveil the stone face? I couldn't believe it."

Sasuke finished his tea and set the cup down. "Yeah, it was the day after my hearing."

I held the tea cup to my lips, but didn't take a drink. _And the day before you left the village._

"Come on," I said. "I've got a few places lined up for us to see already!"

# # #

_SAKURA_

I followed the housing coordinator into the apartment, a forced grin plastered on my face. This was apartment number fifteen, and Sasuke had yet to have a single good thing to say about _any_ of them. I was doing my best to remain objective, but at this point, _I just wanted him to choose a damn place!_

Even the housing coordinater was starting to get a little discouraged.

"No," Sasuke said. "This is too small."

"But Sasuke-_kun,_" I said, trying to keep the pleading to a minimum. "Look at all this closet space. And the view of the village is spectacular! The windows are oversized, and you are high enough that you won't get a lot of noise up here. This really is a great apartment."

Sasuke's gaze snapped onto me and I practically jumped at the scowl on his face. "I said no."

He marched out of the apartment and I sighed. "I'm sorry Kosoda-san. I don't know what has gotten him in such a foul mood today. Perhaps we can try to look another time."

Kosoda wiped his brow with his sleeve and said, "Perhaps we are going about this wrong. He hasn't liked any of the apartments we have looked at for one reason or another. Either they are 'too small' or they are 'too cramped' or even 'too new'. Do you think, perhaps, Uchiha-san, would be more interested in a house?"

I glanced out of the window at Sasuke who was already waiting on the street below with his arms crossed.

I shook my head. "I have no idea. Let's show him one and see what he says. I always knew he was stubborn, but this is just ridiculous."

_Tchaw! If this doesn't make him happy, then he can sleep on a bench for all I care!_

When we arrived at the house, I couldn't help but be surprised at how charming it was. It was a cottage styled home in the middle of Konoha, central to everything, and not far from the academy either. My parent's home was just a few streets over, and it would be an easy commute.

"This is the last stop for today," Kosoda said. "There will be more places to look at later if you still haven't decided, but for now, this is the only local home available. Let's take a look around."

We went inside and Sasuke immediately went into the kitchen. I raised an eyebrow as he observed and was surprised when he didn't make some kind of negative remark. He turned around wordlessly, and headed up the stairs. I followed, arms crossed, waiting for him to shoot it down too.

But it never came.

He looked in each of the rooms, and finally stopped in the master bedroom, looking out in the small backyard that accompanied the property. I leaned against the doorframe, wondering what was on his mind.

"What do _you_ think?" he asked.

My eyebrows shot up. "It's going to be your place, Sasuke. Honestly, I think it is a little too big, and going to be a lot more upkeep than you will have time for between missions. But if this is what you want—"

"It is," he said. "I'll pay for it today."

My jaw slacked as he walked past me to find Kosoda. After a few moments, I clenched my eyes shut, and pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to ward off the coming headache.

I made a mental note to stop trying to understand what was going on in his head. As long as he wasn't committing treason or murder, _I was just going to Let. It. Go_. Audibly sighing, I followed him down the stairs, and soon Kosoda was clapping and grinning ear to ear.

"We will get you the keys as soon as the paperwork is finished!"

Sasuke nodded.

It was already two o' clock in the afternoon by the time we left. My stomach was growling and I had gotten up too early. I was about to tell Sasuke I was going to head home when he said, "Let's go get something to eat."

It was probably the first moment in my life I wasn't desperate to accept an offer to be in Sasuke's company, but I still couldn't refuse him. Besides, I might feel better if I got some food anyway.

We found a sit down restaurant in the village and I ordered half the menu. Sasuke was giving me a nonplussed look and I looked back with disdain.

"What?" I asked. "It's not like you have to pay for me."

He tsched, and said, "I was going to, but that's not the point. You're going to make yourself sick."

My face fell as I studied him. He was now looking through the documents Kosoda had given him, ignoring me completely. _What was that supposed to mean? He was going to? Was this supposed to be a date or something? And then that other comment—did he care if I made myself sick?_

Our food arrived and I started eating, wondering if I was overthinking it. We ate out all the time, did all kinds of stuff, it was never a date before, so why would it be now? He didn't even ask me to go with him, he _stated_ it. But, then again, that's what Sasuke _would_ do.

Still, he had never paid for me before, so I supposed I would just wait and see what happened.

"Well," I said, finishing my meal. "I certainly didn't expect you to buy a house today."

"Hn."

"What are you going to do with all that extra space?" I asked.

Sasuke looked away from me and shrugged. I raised an eyebrow. He sure was acting a lot like his old self today. Quiet, short-tempered, stubborn… since he had been back, he had been much more inclined to use complete sentences, sometimes even whole paragraphs, so this felt like taking three steps back.

We sat in silence for a moment before he finally looked back at me and said, "Sakura, there is something I've been meaning to ask you."

Suddenly, everything around me became quiet. Sasuke had only held my gaze briefly, but it was enough to see it—that look in his eyes he had given me before he left the village. It wasn't much, but for Sasuke, it was a completely different version of him than I had ever been exposed to before. The tender look in his eyes, the way he seemed somewhat nervous about whatever he was thinking. He had left me that day with something he had never given me before.

_Hope._

He wanted me to know he was coming back for me. That I should wait for him. That he would _see me soon._

And now, after all this time, that withered frail emotion that had been locked up inside of me was screaming from within its cage.

"What is—"

"Sasuke Uchiha!"

I jumped in my seat at the sudden booming voice. An ANBU Black Op stood not far from our table, his mask watching us like a mindless entity intent only on silencing the screaming from within.

"The Hokage has requested your presence immediately. There is a situation," he said. "Come with us."

Sasuke stood up, his expression dark, and I quickly followed.

"He didn't ask for you, Sakura," he said turning back to me in an alarming manner.

His words hit me like a brick wall. "I don't care, I'm going with you!"

"No," he said. "I will find out what is going on, and I'll find you later."

There was such finality in his words, and I couldn't help but recall his voice during the Chuunin Exams when I was about to tell them about his curse mark. It was the same demanding and non-negotiable tone that had somehow controlled me. I watched him leave, standing there helplessly, unable to move at all.

I realized something in that moment that I hadn't as a girl. This was what was different about Sasuke. This was what made me so undeniably in love with him. No one else talked to me that way and got away with it.

Only Sasuke.

I glanced down at the table, about to pay the bill so I could go home and wait for him, however, I was surprised to see more than enough money already there.

I stared at it.

He had paid for me.

# # #

_SHIKAMARU_

I eyed the Cloud nin called Karui with suspicion. She was the one that had beat the shit out of Naruto right after the village had been destroyed. As part of the Sixth Hokage's Council, it was my responsibility to make sure things didn't get out of hand here, and of the three members of the Cloud team sent here, she was the most troublesome.

I couldn't help but be taken aback by what they had said. Since the end of the war, all five villages had maintained a prosperous peace that mutually benefited each nation. This was the first of any conflict, and of all things…

"We want Sasuke Uchiha in shackles!" Karui yelled, slamming her fist down on the Hokage's desk.

Kakashi didn't even flinch as he took in the situation. This wasn't looking good.

"I understand what it may look like," Kakashi said. "But Sasuke hasn't left the village for three months. Since the recent damage sustained by the village, we have kept our strongest shinobi close by."

"Do you have him watched every moment of every day?" she growled. "He tried to kill him before! He would do it again! The Jinchurriki will always be hunted, especially by the likes of an Uchiha! He cannot be trusted!"

At that moment, the door opened, and the ANBU dispatched to retrieve Sasuke entered, followed by Sasuke himself. I breathed a sigh of relief. At least he didn't mysteriously vanish. I had to admit, I didn't really trust him at all, but this whole thing just didn't make sense.

From what I had seen of Sasuke around the village, he had been spending a significant amount of time with Sakura. Everyone knew how she felt about him, and it was pretty obvious where it was heading. There was no way he had…

"Uchiha!" Karui shouted. "What did you do with my master!"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as the door clicked shut behind him.

"Calm down, Karui," Darui said. "Let the Hokage handle it."

Sasuke wasn't even in his shinobi armor, wearing only a long-sleeved black shirt, the Uchiha symbol still boldly emblazoned on the back.

I couldn't deny, it took some guts to still wear his clan's symbol proudly after what Madara had attempted to do, but still, it was a testament to his loyalty to his family, to his brother, that he still wore it proudly. Even if people would always disgrace him for it. I clenched my eyes shut, finding it harder than I should have to see his life turned upside down again. Sure, I still didn't really like the guy, but you'd think at some point he would get a break.

"Sasuke," Kakashi said. "Killer Bee of the Cloud Village has been reported missing. Do you have any idea as to his whereabouts?"

I looked back at Sasuke. Nothing about his expression changed, but I knew he understood what was going on immediately. You could see it in his eyes. The resignation.

"No."

"You're a liar!" Karui shouted. "You were just laying low until you could revert back to your old ways! You want the 8-tails power for yourself. You're no different than Madara Uchiha himself!"

Sasuke's sharingan was suddenly blazing in his right eye and I looked to Kakashi warningly.

"Shikamaru," Kakashi said. "Find a capable Jounin to escort Karui to her room here in the village while she waits for her team."

I nodded and grabbed her arm as she raised it to Sasuke. "Come on, you."

I dragged her outside of the Hokage's office and slammed the door behind me.

"I got just the guy for you," I muttered, ignoring her scathing remarks. I didn't get very far down the hall when I saw Naruto coming. I felt my heart drop into my stomach.

"Shikamaru!" he said. "I heard about Bee! Is Sasuke already in there?"

I nodded. "It doesn't look good, Naruto."

Naruto's eyes tightened and he took in Karui. "Oh, it's you."

She gave Naruto a begrudging look and tossed her chin to the side indignantly.

"Look, Naruto," I said. "Just don't get all irrational on me. We will figure this out even if we have to go find Bee ourselves."

But he wasn't looking at me.

"Sasuke didn't do this, Karui," he said. "And you know that."

She said nothing and pulled herself free from my grasp and walked past him without another look.

Naruto took off too, and I crossed my arms. Karui was already well ahead of me, and already raging at some poor shinobi who had gotten in her way.

"Choji, I hope you are ready for this," I muttered. "What a drag."

# # #

_NARUTO_

"Kakashi-sensei," I said, bursting through the Hokage's office doors. "Is it true? Is Octopops really missing?"

Sasuke stood silently in the corner beside Kakashi's desk. From the solemn look on his face, I could tell the worst was happening.

"Killer Bee has been missing for more than a month now," Kakashi said. "It's not odd for him to wander off for weeks at a time, but this is an excessive amount of time even for him. The Raikage fears the worst."

"Then let me go and find him," I said. "I can get him back home in no time. No sense in dragging Sasuke in here."

Kakashi's expression sent fear deep into my heart. I turned my frustration on the two Cloud nin.

"Do you guys really think Sasuke would do something like this?" I shouted. "Give me a break! I thought we were past this blindly accusing each other bullshit! I'm going to see Raikage—"

"It won't do any good," Samui said. Her calm tone made me pause. "Whether Sasuke Uchiha is responsible for Killer Bee's disappearance or not, as a former enemy of the Cloud, and of Bee, he must be detained until we discover his whereabouts. The fact of the matter is you don't know any more than I do if he is capable of such an act."

I felt my anger getting the best of me. "I know Sasuke and Bee better than anyone in the Hidden Cloud, and I guarantee Sasuke didn't do this. Bee is probably out training and got himself into a bind. He always took things to the extreme."

"Naruto," Kakashi said. "That's enough. We will send teams out to look for Bee, but until then, Sasuke must be detained. We cannot allow the situation to become anymore unstable between our shinobi. We have all also agreed this will remain top secret to preserve the alliance."

"This is ridiculous," I said, "But fine, whatever, Sasuke—you'll have to just hang out for a bit while I go and find Bee."

"Naruto," Kakashi said. "I need you here. The village is still shaken by what happened with Hinata… you are the only thing keeping people feeling safe now."

I stared at him. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Naruto," Sasuke said.

I had almost forgotten he was standing there. I felt my anger ebb away.

"You've done enough," he said, his eyes closed, his expression stoic as usual. "You need to stay here with Hinata, and Sakura… Let me handle this."

The moment Sasuke vanished, my eyes widened.

Samui gasped and Kakashi's head fell into his palm.

"Oh boy," Kakashi said. "Naruto, when did he learn Flying Thunder God?"

I couldn't help but let a smirk twitch on my face. "He must have copied it during the war."

I felt relieved knowing Sasuke had decided not to go down quietly. Without one of us out there looking for Bee, they might not have found him. I smiled and turned around, gripping the handle to leave.

"Where are you going?" Samui asked.

I glanced over my shoulder. "I'm not allowed to leave the village, remember? Find Sasuke and Bee yourselves. And tell Raikage Granny Tsunade is going to hear all about this."

Samui's eyes shot open, and I slammed the door behind me.

# # #

_SASUKE_

I did it the day I left the village. I still wasn't really sure why, but at the time, it had made the decision easier.

I had copied the Fourth Hokage's _Flying Thunder God Technique_ during the war, thinking it would come in useful one day. Who knew I would have been using it as an escape tactic, and that my only marker would have been _Sakura._

I found myself nose to nose with her. The next moment she was screaming and tumbled into my arms where I caught her immediately.

"Sasuke-kun!" she gasped.

She was light as a feather, and I felt an odd resistance to let go of her. Finally, she pulled herself away from me, looking at me wildly.

"What the hell, Sasuke?" she asked, her eyes wide with concern. "Where did you come from?"

"I don't have a lot of time to explain, Sakura," I said. I couldn't help but notice the shorts and tee-shirt she was wearing around her room. They were little things I had never noticed before, but things that made her that much more real. And now, the same day I had…

I crushed the thought. None of that mattered if I was a wanted criminal. It seemed my past would always come back to haunt me.

"Sakura…"

When I looked into her eyes, I couldn't go on. She already knew. It was in that moment that I finally understood just how much I had hurt her all those years ago. It was the same look, but she didn't even have to hear the words this time.

I knew, because I felt it too no matter how much I tried to kill the feeling. It just _hurt._

"I don't have a choice this time, Sakura," I said.

"Why? Why do you have to go?" she whispered, her hands now gripping the front of my shirt. Tears were swelling in her eyes and I resisted the urge to withdraw from her at the sight of her pain. _I have enough of my own, Sakura, I don't need yours too._

"I'm being blamed for Killer Bee's absence from Cloud, and they are going to detain me unless I can prove my innocence," I said. "I have to go and find him."

Just when I thought I was going to collapse under the weight of her tearful gaze, something in her snapped. Her gaze became focused and determined, and the tears slipped away.

"Then I'm going with you."

I opened my mouth to protest, but to my shock and slight irritation, she put her hand over my mouth.

"Do not think you can always control me, Sasuke," she whispered dangerously. "Sometimes, you are going to have to listen to me."

I jerked her hand away from my mouth and glared at her.

"Fine," I said. "But we have to go now."

The fire in her eyes subsided, but only a little as she grabbed her ninja gear. I raised an eyebrow as she tugged her shirt and shorts off and quickly pulled on her uniform.

"Fast enough for you?" she asked, moving towards her window.

I took a deep breath.

"Yeah," I said. "Now let's go."

* * *

><p><em>So I am going to be wrapping this up faster than I had planned, because with the movie coming out, I have a feeling it is going to toss the canon aspect of this fic out the window. That annoys me more than I care to admit, haha. Anyway, that said, I'm going to finish it! Thanks for reading. Check me out on Tumblr alaynaravenwood, and if you guys like my writing, I also have my own published work called Eternal Night. For those of you who are into dark magical romances and YA, I'd be happy to send you a copy of the work if you are interested! If you are, message me on Tumblr! <em>

_Oh, and I started adding the character POV, as requested. Not sure why I didn't before, sorry!_


	5. Safe

_Chapter Five: Safe_

The moon sat in the sky, lighting the path before us through the forest terrain of the Land of Fire. We had been running for a few hours, putting as much distance between us and the village as possible.

I could tell from his northern path that he was heading for the Land of Lightning. We hadn't spoken much except for the occasional nod to change course, or to stop when we may have been nearing other shinobi.

When we finally crossed the border into the Land of Lightning, we found a small village off the beaten path. I pulled my hood down to hide my face, and Sasuke did the same. We moved quickly to not draw attention, and Sasuke led us straight to an inn in the village. He seemed to know his way around, and had clearly been here before.

"There are never shinobi in these parts," he said. "We should be able to at least spend the night before someone notices us."

I nodded and followed him inside where he paid for a room.

When we got inside, I breathed a sigh of relief, and sat on the bed, tugging my cloak off. Sasuke, however, was checking the windows, drawing the curtains, and triple locking the door. I raised an eyebrow at how intense he was.

"We have to be careful," he said. "You should try to get some sleep."

My eyes were drifting shut as he said the words, but I felt a little bad. "Are you not going to try to sleep too?"

"Not until I am sure no one noticed us," he said, staring intently out the window.

I yawned. "Alright."

# # #

When I woke up, Sasuke was still up, and just as focused as when I last saw him.

"There are cloud nin in the village," he said. "They are looking for us. I've placed a genjutsu on the room so they will not find us."

I sat up, looking out the window. There were villagers being questioned.

"Geez," I muttered. "If they had assigned half as many shinobi to find Bee as they did to find us, they might have found him by now."

Sasuke glowered as he looked outside. "We are stuck here until they move on."

I watched the way he paced, his muscles tense.

"Sasuke," I said. "You need to sleep."

"I can't risk the genjutsu wearing off prematurely," he said.

"Then at least sit down," I urged.

He looked at me and I refused to break his gaze. I had to admit though, his eyes were all the more alarming when he was this tense. Finally, he looked away and sat at the end of the bed.

I sighed mentally, relieved he had sort of listened to me for once.

"Why did you insist on coming with me?" he asked.

His question caught me off guard. Why was he bringing this up now?

"You know why."

My words were met with silence. I was growing more uncomfortable with each moment, and I wondered how long this would go on before he finally said something.

"It's not that I don't believe you, I just don't understand what you see in me," he said.

His words sent a sharp pain through my chest. Guilt was a heavy burden to bear, and I had known all along how he was struggling with it, and I couldn't stand it.

"Sasuke—"

"No," he said. "I need you to understand, Sakura. I need you to know what I was feeling back then and why I did those things."

He kept his back to me, and I stayed quiet, knowing he just needed me to listen.

He told me how he lost his family. How his love for them became hatred for his brother. How Naruto and I had nearly derailed him from his mission to defeat him.

"But I couldn't be deterred. He had to pay for what he did. I had chosen to avenge their deaths, and by taking that path, I knew I would be alone. It was not somewhere you could follow, and I pushed you away because I didn't want you to fall with me. I could see you for what you were, Sakura, and while I wanted what you were offering me, I just couldn't turn my back on the past. I had to protect you from myself back then, and get as far away as possible so you couldn't get hurt, or distract me from my mission," he said. "I thought your love was…

…weakness."

I couldn't keep the tears from falling as I listened. The memories were playing in my mind as he spoke, and I felt his pain as if it were my own, reliving it with him. I always knew Sasuke had been hurt, but I didn't understand how much it had really affected him.

He spoke of his battle with Itachi, learning too late of his true nature, and what really happened to his clan. It had unhinged him, demanding revenge against the village who lived on at the expense of his beloved brother. Taking down Danzo had been a satisfying victory, so much so, he was convinced destroying the village was the answer to relieving all the pain.

"Then, you were there," he said, pausing. "You were so different, and that curiosity made me even more aware that I didn't want to be interrupted in my quest for vengeance. I didn't trust you, not at all, and I didn't want to see you. Even you, a trusted comrade, had become nothing more than an obstacle to me—one that had to be removed.

"I'm sorry," he said. "There is nothing I can do to change that moment. I had sensed your intent to kill me from the moment you had arrived. You had taken matters into your own hands. I didn't care then, but I see now how much you have really changed."

I wiped at my cheeks, blocking the memory from my mind, and finally finding my voice. "I owe you an apology too… my decision making could have got you killed. I never should have given up on you."

"No," Sasuke said, glancing briefly over his shoulder. "If I'm ever like that again, I need to know I can count on you to end it. Naruto… he will never let go, and if something happens that I don't come back from, I don't want to take him down with me."

"Well," I said, sliding down to sit next to him. "That's never going to happen."

He sat with me there next to him, considering what I said, before he looked at me and smirked.

"Still, you don't owe me anything. You were right to try to stop me. But I take back what I said. I don't ever want you to put yourself in danger," he said.

I smiled and closed my eyes, finding his statement almost amusing. "You know, there were times when you were gone that I wondered if I would ever hear such words from you again. I would lie awake at night, trying to convince myself Naruto would bring you home. That everything would go back to how it was. You had changed so much, I felt like the worse things got, the more certain that I would never have the old Sasuke back. And in a way, that's true. I can see the traces of the Sasuke I used to know, but there are still bits of you that terrified me to the core as well."

Sasuke shifted to look at me. "What about me still scares you?"

I froze and then laughed hesitantly realizing I had said that out loud.

"You can tell me, Sakura."

I turned my gaze back to the locked door.

"There's always this lingering fear that you are just going to vanish. I felt so alone when you left, and eventually, I learned to live with it. After the war, when you decided to leave again, I knew it was what you needed, and I didn't feel so empty, but now that you are here with me, I feel like I hadn't even been living," I said.

Sasuke was a far better listener than I was used to from Naruto or Ino. Even Kakashi often got distracted, but I could tell from his somber demeanor that he understood. But then again, I think he always had, but like Naruto, he was never willing to share it with me.

"You're scared of being alone," he said.

I looked at the floor. "I know I don't know what that's really like. When I think about you, Naruto, Kakashi-sensei, your brother—I feel selfish for feeling how I do, but I just missed you so-"

Sasuke's hand slid over mine, taking hold of it.

"I refused to acknowledge it then, but I missed you too," he said. "I thought I was protecting you by keeping you away from me."

It was all a little too much for me, and at some point, Sasuke had put his arm around me, and I fell asleep against his shoulder.

# # #

When I woke up, I was snuggled against something warm. I stirred, opening my eyes, and felt an immediate heat burning in my cheeks. My arms were wrapped around Sasuke's chest, my face resting against him. We were lying down in the bed, and I gently tried to slip away, but the moment I did, his eyes opened and he was looking at me. He had been awake the whole time.

I froze in a panic. So this hadn't just been me gravitating towards him in my sleep? My heart raced in my chest.

"You were shivering," he explained, and closed his eyes again. He was so calm about it. I wondered if he knew how much I was freaking out. Surely he wasn't that oblivious.

I pulled away and sat up, wiping the sleep from my eyes.

"Oh," I muttered. "Are the cloud nin gone yet?"

"Yeah," Sasuke said, getting up. "We should head out."

"Let me ask around the village to see if anyone has heard anything about Bee," I said. "They won't know my face."

Sasuke gave me a questioning look. "You're the pink haired teammate of the Uchiha and Jinchurriki that helped end the war. There aren't too many of you."

I pulled my hood up and smirked at him. "Just trust me. I'll be back in a few."

Sasuke followed me from a distance while I posed as a traveler looking for a shrine in the northern mountains. No one had seemed to notice any other travelers recently, but one merchant did say something odd.

I stood at his food stand, listening as he told me and his patrons about his recent trip out collecting herbs for his special recipes.

"I heard it from beyond the trees," he said. "A horrible, haunting tune."

"Oh, hush," a woman said, coming up behind him. "It was some idiot out in the woods rapping. It was ridiculous."

I felt Sasuke's hand on my shoulder before he was gone again, and I knew he wanted me to follow him. When we reached the edge of the village, he turned to me.

"That woman," he said, his hood casting shadows across his face. "She described Bee exactly."

I tried to remember exactly what she had said. _Some idiot out in the woods rapping._

I didn't think that was much of a description, but… "Well, if you are sure, let's keep heading north. Tsunade has had me up here looking for herbs before, so I know where they might have been to look. We will take that route."

The further north we travelled, the worse the conditions became. The cold was unbearable, and yet Sasuke showed no sign of stopping. We searched the grid for two days, always moving to maintain what little warmth we had. Finally, exhausted, we knew we had to turn back.

The area I knew herbs to be plentiful had shown no sign of the missing Jinchurriki. However, a heavy snow had fallen since the merchant had returned to his village from his final trip before the winter; it may have covered any signs of Bee having been here, and that had been some time ago. He could have moved on by now.

I could see the defeat in Sasuke's eyes. It was not a familiar look on him, and it nearly ripped my heart out of my chest.

"We need to head back," he said. "There is another winter storm coming. We can't get caught in that."

I watched him turn back, but I stood my ground. "We know he is here, Sasuke. We will find shelter until it passes."

He stopped, indecision set in his shoulders.

"If he is hurt, he could die here," I said. "We have to find him, or risk never finding him."

He turned back to me, and I knew he thought it was a lost cause, but he sighed and nodded.

We searched for hours, only finding a cave in the dead of night, well into the high winds and blowing snow of the storm. Both of us were frozen to the bone, and wet. Chattering, I used a simple earth technique to close the opening to the cave while Sasuke started a fire. We each silently laid our clothes out around it and leaned against our packs in our underclothes. The warmth of the flames were thrashing away at the cold that had taken harbor in my blood. I could feel myself dazing out, but Sasuke sharply tapped me on the arm.

"Don't fall asleep until everything is dry and you are redressed," he said.

I knew he was right—we couldn't risk anything with this kind of cold. The alarm in his voice was due to his own weariness. I had never seen him like this before. Just as the numbness of my body was beginning to wear off in painful pangs of feeling shooting throughout my limbs, Sasuke said something.

"What?" I muttered, my mind trying to make sense of his words.

"I shouldn't have let you come," he said.

I glanced over at him, my eyes heavy. "Then I would have just got lost out here trying to find you."

He ignored me. "If we can't find him, they will accuse you of being an accomplice."

I shrugged. My mind may have been tired, but one thing was glaringly obvious despite the seriousness of the situation.

"If we can't find him, we just won't go back."

Sasuke looked at me with an alertness he shouldn't have been able to muster. "Why, Sakura? Why would you throw your life away to be an exiled missing nin for me?"

I suppressed the urge to laugh and closed my eyes, basking in the warmth of the fire. I gave him the same answer I had before. "You know why."

He was quiet for a long time, and I stole a glance.

Shadows danced across his face, and his eyes were lowered. "But why do you love me?"

The way he asked drew me out of my sleepy frame of mind. He sounded genuinely confused, as if he couldn't understand why someone would have those feelings for him. I watched him, trying to understand what he was thinking. As I did, I knew I had to convince him. I couldn't allow him to think, to doubt, that I loved him with any amount less than the ferocity that I did.

This time, I knew I needed to give him a real answer. It was my turn to talk. My spoken words were the purest they would ever be. I had no ability to think and craft something less than what I felt in my heart. But in order to say these things, I stared ahead at the fire, unsure I could if I looked at him.

"You made me want to be better," I said. "You were always honest with me, and it helped me grow, but before I could show you that growth, you were already gone. I always felt the need for you to approve of me… I was ashamed of who I used to be when you first met me. And it's because of you that I am who I am now. It's because of you that I learned to trust Naruto and tried to really understand him. You never had any problem pointing out my flaws, and you made me stronger, Sasuke. Then, when I finally realized the pain you were in, and the darkness that came with it, it was too late."

The cackling of the fire accompanied the silence between us. But instead of stiffness, there was understanding, and it was comforting. To look back on it, to acknowledge it, to really see it for what it was now, was like a catharsis. And I knew he felt it too.

"What about now? What do you want now?" he asked.

Finally, I found the courage to look at him. "I want you to be happy."

He seemed shocked at the earnestness behind my words, but it quickly became determination. "And what if we can never return to the village, and are always being hunted?"

I turned back to the flames. "If that is the only way I can be by your side, I'll run with you forever, Sasuke."

We waited a little while longer before our clothes were dry enough to put back on. Afterward, I laid by the fire, nearly asleep when I felt Sasuke pull me against him. He held me there, keeping me warm, and I snuggled in closer, feeling like it was okay for the first time.

"Sakura," he murmured.

I faintly heard him. "Mmmm?"

When I opened my eyes, I saw him looking down at me, his eyes dark, and reflecting the flames beside us. His finger traced my jaw before his thumb brushed over my lips. I stared up at him in curiosity. Suddenly, I remembered the other day when he had paid for my meal.

In my delirium, I tried to recall why that had been so important, so I asked him. "Why did you pay for my meal, Sasuke?"

He smirked at my odd question, and raised his eyebrow at me. "You are just now wondering about that?"

I cocked my head a tad, giving him a questioning look when he was suddenly so close to me I could smell the faint scent that I only identified with him. Then his lips were pressing against mine, moving against my mouth. He was so close to me, my brain was intoxicated by him, and I responded instinctively in my unadulterated state. His kiss deepened, and somewhere in my mind, I was screaming in glee and shock about what was happening, but it was easily ignored. The pleasure was far too great. I wanted to indulge in it, and I wanted to drink in every moment of it I could.

I wasn't sure at what point his lips parted from mine, but even after they had, I could still feel his body closely intertwined with mine. His dark hair was touching my skin as he held me against his chest, his hand at the back of my head, holding it near him, the slow vibrations of his breathing rhythmically humming me to sleep. I felt him at every part of my body, and even as I was drifting into a deep sleep, I knew that this was right. This was the safest I had ever felt, and I never wanted him to let me go.


	6. The Reprise

_Chapter Six: The Reprise_

SASUKE

The glowing embers still burned when I awoke. My grip holding Sakura close to me had never loosened, and I glanced down at her in my arms. It was such a strange feeling, but I didn't want to let her go. In those few moments, reality hadn't begun yet, and I allowed myself to admire her. Ignoring my attraction to her at this point was futile, but it was hardly the priority. And as soon as I allowed myself a few moments to indulge in whatever this feeling was, I had to let it go, because reality came crashing down on me.

Always before I was ready.

I sensed their presence outside of the cave in the valley. I couldn't believe they had come this far north, but then again, this was their territory.

I counted them as I sensed them. _One, two, three, four, five, six, seven… eight. Two squads._

I scowled and released Sakura from my hold, but not without recalling the kiss we had shared before we fell asleep.

_What had I been thinking?_

Grabbing my katana, I engaged my sharingan, trying to tell if they had noticed us inside. It didn't seem like they had, but they had noticed Sakura's earth jutsu shielding us from them. It would only be a matter of moments before they shattered it.

Sakura was stirring, and I knew what I had to do. Again, I hesitated, but this time, I let go of her with a resolve I hadn't been sure I still possessed. But this time, I wasn't being selfish.

This time I knew I was doing the right thing.

"Sasuke?" she said, getting up.

I couldn't help but find the irony of my plight somewhat amusing. The moment I decided I had wanted a future with her was the same one it had been taken away from me.

"Sakura," I said. "Listen to me. There is no use in searching for Bee anymore. We won't find him. I want you to return to Konoha without me."

She didn't say anything at first, and I kept my back to her, unwilling to see the confusion in her eyes.

"What are you saying, Sasuke?" she asked with caution laced words. "What about…"

"I thought I would test the idea of _us_ out, and like I thought, it isn't something that I want," I said, wincing at the malice in my own voice.

I could hear her tears, and feel her will to close the distance between us.

"Then why can't you even look at me?" she whispered. "You're a liar, Sasuke Uchiha, but a bad one."

I turned around, my Sharingan activated. The second I saw her face, I very nearly stopped the genjutsu I was forming for her. But I quickly regained my composure, knowing that it had to be done.

I caught her limp body in my arms as she succumbed to the jutsu, resting her back against the wall of the cave. Forming the handseals, I cast another genjutsu over her, concealing her body should any of the cloud nin come to check inside.

I watched her, feeling like this moment, all of a sudden, was reality that I was letting go of, that at some point, those moments had become my life, and now, that life was slipping away.

I closed my eyes as I turned back to face the cloud nin as they stormed through the earth wall. They halted at the sight of me, calling to the others that the Uchiha was here. The tension sent them into their prepared formation, and I simply waited for what was to come. I didn't try to run, not really caring anymore what happened to me. One of the braver ones sent a sickening blow to my head, and my consciousness wavered. I fell to my knees, and the blows kept coming.

I thought of where Sakura was, wishing I was there too.

"Take him down!"

I felt my hands being bound, and wondered why I was still conscious as they dragged me out of the cave. I stared back inside where I knew Sakura was concealed with her gear, hidden from their intrusion. I smirked.

I never should have let her come with me.

Then, another blow, harder than the last, sent me into my dreams, where I could at last rest in peace.

# # #

SAKURA

_He was with us, but not really. I often caught him staring into the distance, lost in his thoughts. It was as if I wasn't even there. I still loved him, but I wasn't sure he could feel it. _

_Slamming my hand on the table, I finally caught his attention, tears brimming my eyes. _

_"__Sasuke!"_

_"__What?"_

_"__Why won't you talk to me? It's been two years! Why hasn't anything gotten better?" I cried._

_He glared at me. "I told you, Sakura. I will never love you. You chose this life for yourself—now endure."_

_I rested my hand over my abdomen where our child grew inside of me. _

_I was trapped. And he was right. I had chosen this path knowing what he was like. _

_I had done this to myself._

# # #

I woke up screaming. Sasuke's voice was still echoing in my head, and I was covered in sweat as I tried to figure out where I was. I felt the bitter cold strike me in the darkness, and I remembered the cave and what I was doing there.

"Sasuke!"

But he was long gone.

_Damn him and his genjutsu._

I tried to stand, but my body was numb.

"Easy there, sister. I was just getting a fire going for you."

I glanced around and noticed the sparking of kindle and the flames that followed revealed a small dog.

"Pakkun?" I whispered.

"The one and only," he said, glancing back at me. "Got yourself in a bit of a tough spot, huh?"

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Kakashi sent me to find you kids," he said. "Said you would be needing my help."

I thought of Sasuke, having gone off by himself. "I need to kind Bee, the Jinchurriki of the Cloud."

"No problem," Pakkun said. "Have something that smells like him?"

My hope dissipated.

"Look," he said. "All we have to do is find something of his. Ever been to the Village Hidden in the Clouds?"

I scooted closer to the fire, trying to regain control of my limbs. "No."

"Well," he said. "You're in luck, because I know a way in."

# # #

The journey up the mountain was long and arduous. I followed Pakkun, desperately clinging to the hope that we could successfully infiltrate the village, find something of Bee's, and then actually locate him.

The snow only got deeper as we went, and by the time we were nearing the outskirts of the village, Pakkun took an odd route through the forest and led us to a hidden tunnel.

"Kakashi found this years ago on a mission," he said. "It is a supply tunnel they no longer use, but has been forgotten since before this became a shinobi village. It was once just a trade outpost."

I followed him into the dark tunnel. We walked for a while before we emerged in an abandoned building. Crates and cobwebs filled the warehouse, and I was careful not to step on anything. Drawing my hood, I followed Pakkun out into a side street.

"Now we just need to learn where Bee is located," I said.

"I think I have that covered," Pakkun said. "With his brother being the Raikage, I'm sure I can find something of his where he lives. So you just stay hidden and I'll find you when I'm back."

I nodded, amazed at how resourceful Pakkun could be when needed.

I stayed hidden, but moved about so I could get a better view of the village. It was a beautiful place. Then I heard some commotion that made me hide, but upon further investigation, I noticed a group of shinobi who appeared to be transporting a prisoner.

I laid low on the roof I had hidden on and watched as one of the shinobi kicked the prisoner who was already bound at the wrists. He fell down, his hood sliding off.

I stared in disbelief as the shinobi kicked him again, and again, all the while I watched, staring at the prisoner who couldn't be…

I froze as I saw Sasuke there, unresponsive to their brutal treatment. My heart was screaming at me to go to him, but my head was telling me to think. Finally, shaking, I tore my eyes away from him.

Sasuke was certainly able to take these ninja on his own. There had to be a tactic to what he was doing, a reason he had let himself be captured.

Drawing my hood, I remained out of sight, following him, waiting to see where he would be kept.

As my shock died, my fury flared. How dare he try to lie to me, and make me question the decisions I've made. My fist tightened as I hid in the shadows of an alley, watching the group move into an alleyway. For a moment, I thought I saw Sasuke's eyes flicker in my direction.

Pakkun appeared at my feet, a scrap of material in his mouth.

"You found something!"

"Yeah," he said, though it was muffled from the clothing scrap. "I'm going to get the rest of the pack on this right away. I'll find you when something turns up, Sakura!"

"Thanks, Pakkun," I said, watching him vanish.

I sighed and leaned against the stone wall of the alleyway. Everything was rushing down upon me at once like a cold spring. Sasuke's unexpected warmth had been the greatest feeling to experience, and I'd hardly had time to reflect on it before he tried to unleash a nightmare on me and take it all away.

Why did he insist on doing everything by himself?

My eyes snapped open and fixated on where they had taken him. If I wanted to know what he was up to, I would have to ask him.

# # #

I had spent the rest of the day monitoring the guard activity from the outside. It was late in the evening when I was able to sneak in, and another couple of hours, navigating the dark and guarded tunnels within. I had become quite excellent at hiding my chakra, and a genjutsu that allowed me to shield myself.

Overhearing some of the guards talking about the dangerous Uchiha, I finally discovered Sasuke's location. I was careful to recall exactly how to get out. When I found his cell, I couldn't see anything. I could hear him breathing, however, and knew he was sitting against the wall.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

Annoyed he could still recognize my chakra, I carefully released the barrier seal on the cell door, replacing it once I was inside.

"I think you are the one that should be answering that question," I said, my tone even.

I heard a nearly inaudible sigh, and sat down against the other wall after a few more moments of silence. Soon, I smelled the distinct scent of blood and realized they had not healed him.

Feeling sick, I leaned forward, and used my chakra to light the small space between us, searching for his wounds. I was horrified at how badly they had beaten him.

He said nothing as I healed him and the longer we sat in silence, the more furious I became.

"What did you think that was going to accomplish?" I spat.

Still, silence.

"Did you think I was just going to realize the error of my ways, return to Konoha, and stay there, forgetting about you?" I asked. "When has that worked before, Sasuke? Especially after…"

I finished healing him, and the glow of my chakra faded.

I recalled the night in the cave he had kissed me, the serene look of peace that I had never seen from him before. I wanted to see it again. I wanted to know he was okay.

I leaned in to kiss him, to demand he acknowledge what happened, but he grabbed my shoulders before I could.

"Sakura," he said. "I can't keep pretending that this life with you is still an option. I won't let you become exiled from your home because of me."

I could see his sharingan glowing faintly now. "None of it was ever your decision. You gave me all I needed to hold onto you, and now I'm never letting go, no matter what you do. So abandon me to the village, leave me there forever, but I will never stop loving you. Nothing you do will change that, and if you do leave me again, I will only ever feel pain. That would be your doing."

He growled and released me, turning his head away from me.

He didn't speak to me the rest of the night, but I didn't leave.

As I was falling asleep, I felt him cast a cloaking genjutsu on me.

# # #

KAKASHI

"Hokage! You're late!"

I raised an eyebrow as Raikage's booming voice sounded through the meeting room.

"I thought I was early," I said, sitting down and removing my hat. "Shall we get started?"

Raikage sat back down and explained the situation with Bee.

"Bee's chakra can't even be felt, which has never happened before. I can always sense him! Sasuke Uchiha is a known enemy of the Jinchurriki, and has attacked Bee once before. It stands to reason he is behind his disappearance and has reverted to his old ways. I propose for a unanimous decision for Sasuke Uchiha to be executed!"

I couldn't deny my heart skipped a beat when I heard what Raikage had said. I knew he was upset and wanted action taken over Bee's disappearance, but I never thought he actually believed Sasuke was behind it.

The other kages discussed the proposal, some questioning if Sasuke may be a threat to the other jinchurriki and tailed beasts.

"Knowing he is the only one with such a power to control the beasts, he cannot be trusted. Who is in favor of the proposal?" Raikage said.

Slowly, Tsuckikage and Mizukage raised their hands. Kazekage alone sided with me, and we were just the minority.

"It is decided then," Raikage said. "By order of the Kage Summit, Sasuke Uchiha will die at dawn."

My eyes shot open. "At dawn? Why so soon?"

Raikage looked mutinous. "If there is a chance Bee is under some kind of jutsu of his, perhaps this will give him the chance to escape before it is too late."

# # #

NARUTO

I stared at the letter in disbelief, and felt my pulse quicken.

"Naruto? Is everything alright?" Hinata asked.

"They are going to execute Sasuke," I said, dropping my arm, letter still clenched in my fist and looked up at her. "Hinata, I have to go to Cloud."

She nodded. "Then I'm coming with you."

# # #

KAKASHI

When I saw him sitting there, I felt my heart break all over again. Sasuke Uchiha, my dear student, the last of his clan.

"Sasuke…"

I knew he wasn't expecting good news, but that didn't make it any easier to deliver.

"The council has decided to execute you at dawn," I said.

He said nothing.

"My ninja hounds are still searching for Bee, but no sign yet," I said. "Listen, Sasuke. If he doesn't turn up in time, you have to run. There is a place in the Land of Waves that you will be safe in. You know the one. From there, you will have further instructions."

He looked defeated, and I worried he wasn't listening. Well, if he wasn't, then I would take him there myself.

# # #

SAKURA

"Why not?"

Sasuke sat stubbornly in the same spot.

"I said no, Sakura," he said.

I crossed my arms and looked ahead at the opposite wall. I felt, after Kakashi's news, that it would be a really good idea to _get the hell out of Cloud._

"I would only look guilty if I ran now," he said.

"So _why did you get caught in the first place?"_ I fumed.

He ignored me, and I considered all of my options. The best one was to knock Sasuke unconscious and get him to safety. The only problem was sneaking him past all these guards without getting caught. Just myself was no problem, but taking him too would be a challenge. There was no tricking him into listening to me, and I had exhausted the _appeal to reason _option long ago.

"You should get out of here before they come for me," he said.

"Are you seriously just going to walk to your grave?" I asked.

None of this could be real. Sasuke was far too sober, and I wasn't sure he was in his right mind.

"There's no way I'm leaving your side. I don't trust you alone," I said.

So I waited. We waited all night, not saying a word, both furious with the other, and unable to come to any kind of agreement. When they came for him, I followed them silently, still hidden by Sasuke's genjutsu.

The air was chilled, and the fog lay thick over the crowd. I felt sick at how many people turned up for an execution. There was no part of me that believed this was really going to happen, because I would kill everyone that stood in my way to get to Sasuke if they meant to go through with it.

Still, as I watched him walk up the platform where the noose hung, swaying in the wind, everything suddenly felt very real.

The kages were all present, and the crowd was wild with rage for Bee's disappearance. I stayed hidden, with my hood up, watching for the moment I knew I would have to act.

Sasuke was brought to stand before the noose, but that wasn't what silenced the crowd.

Standing in front of him, Naruto looked down at the kages there to bear witness.

"If you think I will stand here and watch you murder my friend, you're all crazy," he said.

I felt a weight that had become so familiar suddenly lift at Naruto's words.

The Raikage was yelling, but no one neared Naruto. No one dared confront the hero of the great ninja war.

"If Sasuke was guilty, why would he still be here? Why wouldn't he fight back like you all know he is capable of? Why let you capture him in the first place? It's so obvious. He is trying to do the right thing. He is paying for his former sins, but he had nothing to do with Bee's disappearance this time around. Octo-Pops probably just got himself lost. End this non-sense now, and I will go and find him myself," Naruto yelled.

I was about to move forward when I heard Sasuke speak.

"Naruto, get out of here. This has nothing to do with you," he said.

Irritated, I dropped my hood and leapt onto the platform and stood beside Naruto.

"This has everything to do with him, Sasuke," I said. "Now shut up."

I could feel his eyes glaring a hole through my head, but I ignored him as Kakashi and Gaara joined our side.

"Raikage," Mizukage said. "With such words from Naruto, we have no choice but to reconsider. He has made a valid point, and we have no real proof Uchiha is responsible for this crime."

I smiled as the Cloud nin released Sasuke from his binds at the Raikage's orders. He then stalked off, not looking back at us again. The crowd cheered, easily swayed by Naruto's words of wisdom, and I turned to face Sasuke.

He was still angry with us, but I didn't care and threw my arms around him.

"Bakayaro Konoyaro!"

I let go of Sasuke in shock and turned to see Bee standing on the platform staring at Naruto and scratching his head.

"You've got to be kidding me," Sasuke muttered.

"Yo, Naruto," Bee said. "I got a killer new move, watch my new groove!"

Naruto looked completely tapped out as he stared at Bee's ridiculous new move that appeared to be some kind of tribal dance.

"Is that what you were doing all this time?" Sasuke asked, looking more annoyed than mad.

"Hey, you, with the crazy eyes," Bee said. "I'm ready for round two, then you'll hear the reprise!"

Sasuke sighed and started walking past him. "I'm never going near you again."

Naruto, Kakashi and I laughed, but Bee looked offended.

I followed Sasuke, but only briefly before he stopped and looked up at me.

"You should head back to the village," he said. "Things are still settling down here."

I felt a wave of sadness as I realized what was coming next.

"What about you?"

"I need some time, Sakura," he said.

I sighed and nodded. "Just don't make me come looking for you."

As I watched him walk away, I couldn't help but wonder what exactly he was scared of.

And I couldn't help but worry that it was me.

_AN: So turns out THE LAST didn't make a problem at all. Happy and sad about that, but it's fine. Sasuke and Sakura had a lot of build up in the manga, so I feel like they won't need a story plotted movie to hook up, it's going to be more BAM fiery hot passion! lol Anyway. So in other news, I just found out that I am pregnant! Yay! In light of that, I have been dealing with morning sickness and constant nausea, so that has been a challenge. Still, I have found time to get this done, and I do foresee a few more chapters at least. The rest of the story is what I have been working to build to, so I am excited. This next chapter has been partially written since before I posted this, so you know I was dying to get to it! ;)_


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